One of the most celebrated Indian sports personalities today is a young lady from Hyderabad, Pusarla Venkata Sindhu also known as PV Sindhu, a badminton player whom we all are really proud of. At the young age of 22, PV Sindhu is amongst the best badminton players in the world and is currently ranked world number 4. An idol for many aspiring sports persons, her success story is truly inspiring for all of us.
Early Life:
PV Sindhu was born on 5th July, 1995 in Hyderabad, Telangana, to parents PV Ramana and P. Vijaya, who were also professional volleyball players. Drawing inspiration from Pullela Gopichand, Sindhu chose badminton over volleyball at a young age of eight. Sindhu's badminton coaching started in Secunderabad under the guidance of Mehboob Ali. Soon after, she joined her hero Gopichand's Badminton Academy.
Since early days, Sindhu demonstrated discipline and commitment unlike other kids of her age at the academy. As a kid she reported on time at coaching camps daily, travelling over 56 km from her residence. At the nets, she was an example of hard work and determination. In words of Gopichand, "the most striking feature in Sindhu's game is her attitude and the never-say-die spirit."
Hard Work & Passion:
Being a successful sportsperson at an international level is not easy. The amount of hard work and commitment is beyond our imagination. Sindhu's entire life has revolved around one thing, 'the badminton court'.
There is a strict control over what she eats and drinks, especially before big events. There is nothing like taste or preference, she eats whatever she is told to eat! As a precautionary measure, no outside food, not even outside water form a part of her meal, to hold her from falling prey to any drugs that can be put in her food. Her blood and overall health are closely monitored regularly and her diet is tweaked for any deficiencies. It was only after winning the Olympics Silver, did her coach allow her to celebrate her victory and eat her favourite, ice cream.
As far as discipline is concerned, Sindhu blindly adheres to her coach's every word like an unquestionable law. Wondering about her training schedule? Her daily routine is planned and closely monitored, including her sleeping time. She gets trained for six days a week and does 3-4 training sessions in a day which starts at 3.30 AM. The court sessions run for about 6-7 hours till lunch with occasional breaks for breakfast and rest. The evenings normally consists of gym training or running sessions. At least 100 push-ups and 200 sit-ups every single day and 600 to 700 abdominal routines thrice every week forms a part of her routine. For running, she runs sets of 400 meters or one 2.4 km or even a 10 km run on different days. Apart from the above, the routine also packs in yoga, pranayama, swimming, icing and massages for relaxation and recovery. Her trainings ends at around 7 pm and that makes up for upto 15 hours of work every day, six days a week. Only on Sundays, she is allowed to relax at home so that her body can rest and recover from the six hectic days of training.
Apart from training, Sindhu hardly gets time for anything else. She doesn't surround herself with any gadgets and she is not on any social networking sites also.
Career:
PV Sindhu demonstrated great potential and started winning competitions from an early age. Sindhu came to limelight when she broke into the top 20 of the BWF World Ranking in September 2012 at the young age of 17. Then in 2013, she became the first ever Indian women's singles player to win a medal at the Badminton World Championship. Her career highlight came when she became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. At that time she also became the youngest Indian to take a podium finish in an individual event in Olympics. At the recently concluded 2017 BWF World Championships, she won a silver medal after a very close fight. Over the past few years, Sindhu has won many Super Series and Grand Prix events. She is currently ranked world number 4 in the BWF World Rankings.
Apart from winning international competitions, Sindhu is also the proud recipient of the Arjuna Award for badminton in the year 2013. In 2015, she was conferred with India's fourth highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri. She was also conferred with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 2016. Among other recognitions, she was awarded the FICCI Breakthrough Sportsperson of the Year 2014 and the NDTV Indian of the Year 2014.
An Inspiration:
Sindhu deserves every bit of her success and our admiration, not just for her performance at the Rio Olympic Games, but also for her dedication to the sport! Her hard work and commitment at such a young age is an inspiration for all of us. "The best thing about her is that she never complains," said Gopichand. If you are passionate about anything, Sindhu is certainly someone you can look upto and get inspired to pursue your passion with greater vigour.
